Ok need help figuring out what wrong and what to do ... warning photos

[KelsT]

I have 2 chicks that seem to have problems. I think it might be vent Gleet .... I could be totally wrong.

I am not sure whos poop it whos.
But I have 2 that have icky butts.
I have seen this one poop normal poops but she seems to have fluid leaking out of her vent and her vent is "pulsating?"
they are roughly 3 weeks old. only 2 of them seem affected and they came from the same place.
They are on medicated starter feed. Non have had pasty butt... its more like leaky butt...

how should i treat this? with 3 week old chicks?

 

[Eggcessive]

How are they acting and eating? Vent gleet would be pretty rare in a 3 week old. Coccidiosis can be common after this age, and the chick would appear sleepy, lethargic, and may be puffed up with diarrhea or blood in the droppings. Corid is the usual treatment for cocci. What are you feeding the chicks? A good 20% chick starter grower with probiotics would be good. Many feeds such as Purina and Nutrena are adding those to their feeds now.

 

[KelsT]

How are they acting and eating? Vent gleet would be pretty rare in a 3 week old. Coccidiosis can be common after this age, and the chick would appear sleepy, lethargic, and may be puffed up with diarrhea or blood in the droppings. Corid is the usual treatment for cocci. What are you feeding the chicks? A good 20% chick starter grower with probiotics would be good. Many feeds such as Purina and Nutrena are adding those to their feeds now.

Feeding them Albers medicated starter feed.

I thought they were eating normally... they all scratch around. the two that are sick will peep and such very loud sometimes. The one with the picture of the butt will try to clean off his butt with his beak very often. and like its beak has the whitish fluid crusties on it. but seems to be eating and drinking. she is smaller then the others but i think she might be a bantam.

 

[Michael Apple]

Feeding them Albers medicated starter feed.

I thought they were eating normally... they all scratch around. the two that are sick will peep and such very loud sometimes. The one with the picture of the butt will try to clean off his butt with his beak very often. and like its beak has the whitish fluid crusties on it. but seems to be eating and drinking. she is smaller then the others but i think she might be a bantam.

Like Egg stated, around 3 weeks of age is generally the time to start using a preventative for Coccidiosis, and medicated feeds, depending on the the mill date, and how long it has been sitting on the shelf before purchase determines its effectiveness. If I see no milling date I will not buy it. You'll notice the first ingredients listed in your Alber's feed is "grain products". What the heck is that? Not only can rancid feed cause digestive trouble, but the chemical changes in medicated feed, and low quality feeds can cause these problems. Don't take that personally. I have learned much through trial and error just like all folks have.

What I would do is change feed brands, and use a good quality organic chick starter or a brand such as Nutrena if you use a conventional feed. Here's an example of ingredients for a starter formula:
Ingredients: Organic corn, organic soybean meal, organic peas, organic stabilized rice bran, organic wheat, limestone, organic sun-dried alfalfa, organic kelp meal, organic flaxseed, Redmond conditioner (clay), Zeolite, monocalcium phosphate, diatomaceous earth, Redmond salt, DL Methionine, poultry vitamin & mineral premix, organic garlic granules, organic horseradish powder, organic star anise oil, organic juniper berry oil
Guaranteed analysis: Crude protein min 22%, crude fat min 3.5%, crude fiber max 4.8%, ash max 8.5%

I use amprolium in water as preventative once a month, instead of medicated feed, as chicks grow from about 3 weeks up until they reach maturity (9 months of age) or depending on what I observe ( good indications are healthy appearance, good weight, active, good appetites, well formed droppings, and good quality, thick shelled eggs when mature) .
Amprolium comes in two forms, generally a 9.6 solution or a 20% powder. Corid, Ampromed, are a few a common brands found in feed stores.

The preventative mix for administration in drinking water is this:

9.6% liquid: 1 tsp per gallon of water

20% powder: .5 tsp per gallon of water

The dosage doubles if birds are showing symptoms, and in either case, this is done for 5-7 days, making a fresh drinking solution each morning.

After the day of the last dose, use poultry vitamins-electrolytes and probiotic dispersible powder in waterers for one day, then just poultry vitamins, electrolytes for 2 more days. In fact, you can do that 3 days a week while birds are growing, before breeding season, during breeding season, in hot/cold weather.

Dawes Stress-eez Plus is a good poultry vitamin, and Probios dispersible powder is an excellent probiotic.
It is important to prevent digestive problems all the time, but especially as chicks grow. Stunted growth and weak immune systems are the result of damaged intestines/poor quality feed.

 

[KelsT]

wow didn't realise the feed wasn't a good brand! Will be going to the farm store today.

 

[KelsT]

Mill date on food was may of this year and the bag listed ingredients 18% protein etc. I have them on acv, probiotics, gave them epsom salt baths. No changes. Contacted the lady i got them from she says she has no sick ones. Feed store told me with the feed it would be almost impossible for them to have coccodious. Have seen no blood in droppings. But the vent is like leaking clearish fluid and the chick has runy dropping with semi solids in the mix. I am loosing sleep worrying about the chick.

 

[tjo804]

If it is hot they may be drinking too much water here is a poop chart i find helpful when I see something hinky.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0
make sure they have shade a place to cool off plenty of water with electrolytes and if it is hot stop the ACV for now you can pick up a pro biotic to add to the water at the feed store.


Good luck

 

[KelsT]

Well when we got home yesterday one of the chicks was dead. I was surprised it was not the one that seemed the worse off. I am inclined to assume it is cocci even though i have not seen bloody droppings. And am thinking I should treat them for it and hope that the treatment does the trick? Is this a mistake?

I got new feed, and mixed it 50/50 yesterday. cleaned and disinfected everything after removing the dead bird. Thinking that maybe the little polish that is left the has the worst symptoms might have stunted growth as well and yesterday her vent was like swollen, still oozing a clearish mucous fluid.

I am trying to do everything I can for them and all I can think to do now is to treat them with corrid and hope for the best. I dont know a chicken vet and not thinking that it would be worth it for 3 chicks. the vet bill would probably be worth 20 chicks.

 

[KelsT]

I picked up corid... I don't KNOW if cocci is the problem (thinking it might be due to them having the runs and a death). I was thinking I would treat them for it and if it was the problem it would fix it and if not then i heared it would not hurt them... Will treating them if that's not the problem hurt?

They are eating and drinking.
Not sure if they are fluffed up since they are still half fluff
not sure about the wings being droopy they seem normal but i just dont know.
the little one that obviously has some issue with his leaky vent is sleeping with his vent in the air so to say right now.
the other two seem protective of the little one.
the little one will just stand chirping loudly for a while
I swear the only thing growing on the little one is his wings his body seem the same as it was 2 weeks ago when i got him... this seems odd. I assumed last week he was a bantam though i was not told he was. maybe its growth is stunted due to constant leaky butt
butt is constantly leaking but still has occasional poops so its not like its diarrhea 24/7 not feather on toosh due to the chick rubbing his behind all the time to clean
vent seem extended like an outie belly button, does not look prolapsed
they are sleeping all cuddled up in 80 degree temps


Here are some photos i just took trying to get good dropping photos but they just dont poop when you want them to!

 

[tjo804]

Now I am reading and guessing here! I am not a vet nor do I have any training. I think maybe someone can tell you if this makes sense or you can read and compare some of the things I have found.

Is it possible that this is *vent gleet*?

http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/12/vent-gleet-prevention-and-treatment.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/887529/fixing-vent-gleet-with-baby-chicks
I think this sounds more like the symptoms you have described but you should look for yourself.

Good luck